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Here is the first New Jersey Wrestling Writers Association Top 20 of the2025-26 season. The poll will be published every Tuesday beginning Jan. 6

The two teams who have contested the NJSIAA Non-Public A championship and taken turns finishing as the No. 1 ranked team in the New Jersey Wrestling Writers Association Top 20 the last three seasons begin the season in the top two spots in the NJWWA Top 20.

Delbarton, which finished No. 1 in 2024, is back at No. 1 followed by St. Joseph (Montvale), which finished No. 1 in 2025 and 2023.

Senior Jayden James, one of the country's best pound-for-pound wrestlers, leads a Delbarton team that has two returning state champions and another who won a state title in 2024.

Delbarton's Jayden James (top) is one of the country's best wrestlers.

James, last year's 150-pound champion and a Penn State recruit, began his season by capturing the 165-pound title at the Ironman Tournament in Ohio. James defeated Bishop McCort (Pa.) standout and Virginia Tech recruit Melvin Miller 8-5 in sudden victory in the final.

Delbarton finished third in the team standings at the Ironman

Delbarton's other returning state champion is junior Cameron Sontz. Sontz won at 106 in 2024 and 113 last year. He is a Lehigh University recruit.

Junior Ryan DeGeorge, who won at 126 in 2024 and was the runner-up at 132 last year, is Delbarton's other past state champion. DeGeorge is a Rutgers University recruit.

The Green Wave have five other returning state medal winners in their lineup in Tommy Marchetti, Carl Betz, Peter Terranova, Nicholas Schwartz and Trevor Jones.

St. Joseph has three returning state runners-up in its lineup in seniors Johnathon McGinty, Charlie Esposito and Cristian Alvarez.

McGinty, a two-time runner-up and three-time state top five finisher, is an Oklahoma University recruit. Esposito, a two-time top five finisher, is a Rutgers recruit. Alvarez, a heavyweight, is a University of Massachusetts recruit in football. He helped the St. Joseph football team win the NJSIAA Non-Public A championship and finish No. 1 in the New Jersey Super 25.

What could be the best team Christian Brothers Academy has ever had has the Colts ranked No. 3. Junior Paul Kenny, last year's NJSIAA 120-pound champion and an Iowa recruit, leads a team has five other returning state medalists and several talented freshmen. Kenny finished second in the Ironman at 126. CBA was eighth in the team standings.

Southern, the three-time defending Group 5 champion, is the top ranked public school team at No. 8. The Rams have two returning state medalists in senior and Bucknell recruit Anthony Mason and sophomore Cade Collins. They also have two other returning region champions and several talented freshmen.

Six of last year's seven group champions - St. Joseph, Camden Catholic (Non-Public B),, Southern, Delsea (Group 3), Rumson-Fair Haven, which has won Group 2 the last two seasons, and North Hunterdon (Group 4) are ranked.

The poll will run each Tuesday during the dual-meet season beginning Jan. 6.

Here is the season-opening NJWWA Top 20.

NJWWA voting members in alphabetical order: Donald J. Brower (gardenstatehswrestling.com); Frank D'Esposito (shoreconferencewrestling.com); Steven Falk (Asbury Park Press and app.com); Sean Farrell (The Record and NorthJersey.com); Tom McGurk (Courier Post and courierpostonline.com); Andy Mendlowitz (Home News Tribune, Courier News and MyCentralJersey.com); Michael Weilamann (Open Mike and mikeopen.blogspot.com); Brad Wilson (lehighvalleylive.com/The Express Times).

1. Delbarton

2. St. Joseph (Montvale)

3. Christian Brothers Academy

4. Camden Catholic

5. Bergen Catholic

6. St. Peter’s Prep

7. Paramus Catholic

8. Southern

9. Mount Olive

10. Delsea

11. Rumson-Fair Haven

12. North Hunterdon